WordValegrief
deep sorrow, especially from loss
In more detail
1. (noun) deep sadness, especially caused by someone's death
2. (noun) trouble or problems that cause worry
Examples
- 1. She was overwhelmed by grief after losing her mother.
- 2. The constant complaints gave him nothing but grief.
How to use grief
Grief is most commonly used for intense sadness following loss, particularly death, and carries emotional weight appropriate for serious contexts. It can also mean problems or troubles in phrases like 'come to grief' (fail or meet with accident) or 'give someone grief' (cause someone trouble), though these are less frequent in modern usage. The word has a formal, somewhat literary quality compared to sadness.
Common phrases
- deep grief
- grieve deeply
- come to grief
- good grief
- give someone grief
Synonyms
sorrow · anguish · mourning · bereavement · distress
Opposites
joy · happiness · delight
Word family
grieve (verb) · grieving (adjective) · griever (noun) · grief-stricken (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use 'grief' as a verb (e.g., 'to grief over something') when the correct verb is 'grieve'; grief is primarily a noun.
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